There's an image of an email on Ars Technica allegedly from a Field Operations Manager with GameStop that instructs employees to "remove and discard" the coupon for a free OnLive version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution included with the Windows edition of the action/RPG prequel. Ars contacted GameStop public relegations and confirmed this, as GameStop apparently views OnLive as a competitor. Word is: "GameStop spokesperson Beth Sharum confirmed the practice, telling Ars that 'Square Enix packed the competitorís coupon with our DXHR product without our prior knowledge and we did pull these coupons'." Thanks Dirwulf.

I asked a friend of mine who is a paralegal, she said its akin to opening a product and selling the manual separately. There's definitely liability here, they not only changed the product after the transaction but they even took money beforehand while advertising the product in a specific manner. Unfortunately S-E won't do anything as they really need Gamestop to help push their console titles and I doubt the few Gamestop customers affected by this will launch a class action so they will likely get away with it.

I can understand someone feeling indifferent about Gamestop deciding to not sell a game because it competes with their thing. Heck, I can even understand someone defending that. And yes, I understand they eventually stopped selling the games instead.

But I can't see HOW anyone can defend them taking stuff like that out of the box, sealing it, and selling it. Heck I wouldn't be surprised if that violated some Weights + Measures or Better Business Bureau guidelines... if not violated some law out-right.

"Space. It seems to go on and on forever. But then you get to the end and a gorilla starts throwing barrels at you." -Fry, Futurama

Overon wrote on Aug 24, 2011, 21:38:Gamestop is giving PC gamers one more reason not to buy pc games from them. It's not like they have a large selection anyway, they should just give up even having a PC section. Gamestop go back to where you make the most, ripping off people who sell their used games to you.

I stopped using them years ago, except the occasional console game since they're around 5 miles closer than BestBuy and sometimes I want to impulse-buy.

I have 2 or 3 Gamestops in driving distance, and one of them literally had a 3-foot shelf that had a couple of boxes of some recent release AND their bargain-bin stuff I stopped bothering.

Seriously, it was less than a year before Star Craft 2 came out. And their 3-foot PC shelf was sharing some new releases and 2 beat-up boxes of Warcraft III.

The other 2 stores were a little better, but not by much.

"Space. It seems to go on and on forever. But then you get to the end and a gorilla starts throwing barrels at you." -Fry, Futurama

Gamestop is giving PC gamers one more reason not to buy pc games from them. It's not like they have a large selection anyway, they should just give up even having a PC section. Gamestop go back to where you make the most, ripping off people who sell their used games to you.

"Now, GameStop says it will not sell the opened DXHR packages -- in fact, it won't sell any physical copies of the game at all until Square Enix ships GameStop a version without the OnLive coupon. GameSpot will continue to sell its own digital version of the game in its stores and online."

LOL! GameStop's loss then. With Amazon.com being cheaper AND including $10 off next purchase, Steam with it's ease of use, or the big box stores to purchase this game, they are only shooting themselves in the foot by refusing to carry it. It's not like they even want to sell PC games anyways.

"Now, GameStop says it will not sell the opened DXHR packages -- in fact, it won't sell any physical copies of the game at all until Square Enix ships GameStop a version without the OnLive coupon. GameSpot will continue to sell its own digital version of the game in its stores and online."

Serule wrote on Aug 24, 2011, 18:04:Not that I'm defending gamestop (I unfortunately work there..) but can I ask how many of you who posted actually use onlive? Not that I agree that taking it out of the box was right.. but really.. how much damage would it do?

I have enough problems with Gamestop's practice of opening new games to keep the discs behind the counter...namely becaue it becomes indistinguishable from a used game at that point. If they didn't also sell used games, it wouldn't be an issue for me.

Physically removing any bit of the product and selling it as a new product, is just not an acceptable practice to me. Especially not when this item has a real, monetary value. If it were a coupon for 5% off at Gamestop and they removed it it would still be unnaceptable. That this is being done to deliberately target another company perceived as a competitor puts it on a whole new level.

Serule wrote on Aug 24, 2011, 18:04:Not that I'm defending gamestop (I unfortunately work there..) but can I ask how many of you who posted actually use onlive? Not that I agree that taking it out of the box was right.. but really.. how much damage would it do?

Whether or not you use it isn't the point; the point is they are breaking a manufacturer's seal on a product, removing content, and selling it at the full price, minus one of the items.

Whether I chose to use the service, or give the code to someone that does, is irrellevant: They stole material from a package, and sold it under false pretense.

That's actually breaking the law.

^D^

This.

Not only are they removing content that has value ($49.99 to buy the PayPass from OnLive), they are doing it because they view OnLive as a competitor. Which is an anti-competitive action that can, and should, get them slapped with an antitrust suit.